Charlotte Wise

I chose Aston on the basis of my familiarity with the LSS department as a whole and the supportive and encouraging nature which this fosters in order to allow a space for students to exceed beyond their potential.

I also chose Aston because of the expertly qualified teaching staff the Sociology department has to offer, meaning I am receiving in-depth research training skills which will equip me for now and the future as I purse further academic opportunities. The training and knowledge I am receiving is also allowing me to engage in and consider complex contemporary social and cultural debates which are fundamental to advancing social change.

I have loved so far being able to specialise in key sociological topics which are supported by a key number of academics who specialise in areas such as gender. This has enabled me to focus my work around my own personal interests and expanded my understanding of how a number of societal issues affect diverse groups of people in different ways.

I have also enjoyed being with a small like-minded group of other students who are as eager to learn as I am but in some cases come from backgrounds outside of sociology. This allows for interesting and topical conversations to be had and a wealth of different viewpoints to be explored in relation to current worldwide and localised events. Having supportive peers around me has proved invaluable in sharing ideas and furthering my knowledge both in and outside of the classroom.

The biggest skills I have developed is how to write and develop my ideas at a level ready for Academic publication which has proved extremely valuable having already presented some of my own research surrounding women’s experiences of homelessness at an academic conference at Warwick.

I also feel like I have developed my levels of independence increasingly further with currently being in the middle of a voluntary placement I am doing as part of my MA course. By carrying out this placement I have not only been able to apply the knowledge and training I have learnt on the course in a practical sense but have been able to witness the societal issues we are talking about in seminars fist hand and has allowed me to give something back to the local community in the form of this voluntary opportunity.